Titles

Collected

Creators

I'm looking at a dead man, right? No! I'm looking at the leftovers! You thought you could fool everyone!? You thought Batman is something that could be replaced!? I thought you people understood the truth about masks. About identity. You realy believe everything that he was is a suit? A car? Body armor? A cowl? No. Batman's dead. So what does that make you?

Synopsis

Alfred Pennyworth and Dick Grayson cope with the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's and how to continue his legacy. During Bruce's private funeral, Grayson tells the Justice League they cannot dishonor Bruce by allowing the world to know that Batman is dead. Dick does not believe he's ready to become the new Batman, and fights crime without leaving the Batmobile to keep up the charade that Batman is alive. When Damian Wayne almost gets killed going after Doctor Phosphorus alone, Dick realizes he'll need to mentor the young boy. Eventually he decides that to take over, instead of becoming Bruce he needs to make the identity of Batman his own. Building a new Bat-Bunker in the center of Gotham with Alfred, he finally dons the cowl and reveals himself to take down Scarecrow.[1]

Dick Grayson bursts into the public eye as a Batman who doesn't mind being recorded by the media, leaving surveillance records of his take-downs for the police. In the Bunker they work on their shifting dynamics, as Alfred learns to pacify a neurotic Batman and Damian works with a Batman who's less grim than he is. Penguin and Two-Face continue their feud as Two-Face manipulates Batman into going after Penguin, knowing that Batman is a different person under the cowl.[2]

Alfred and Dick set their Bunker up while Dick mentions that he can feel he's being set up. Batman continues to raid the Penguin's operations, forcing Penguin to take Black Mask's advice by sending Clayface and hitman Lyle Blanco after him.[3] Blanco and Clayface are taken down, although this is revealed to be part of Black Mask's plan to get Batman off Penguin's trail. Black Mask has his Arkham inmates murder Penguin's security detail, making it clear that Penguin now works for Black Mask. Two-Face hires a teleporter to trace a stolen Batarang and sneaks into the Batcave, where he ambushes Grayson demanding to know where the real Batman is.[4] Batman is drugged and has the shit beaten out of him by Two-Face, until Alfred intervenes with a dart gun. While punching out Dent, Batman explains that the Batcave isn't where he's most vulnerable... it's where he's most powerful. Grayson protects his new identity by explaining that although Two-Face is stuck in his routine, Batman is flexible and has the ability to change. Black Mask breaks Two-Face out of Arkham and gives him the choice to join him, leave town or die; Two-Face decides that he'll be leaving Gotham. Alfred and Dick decide to completely clean out the Batcave, leading Dick to discover a hidden data drive Bruce had been using to investigate the murder of John and Mary Grayson.[5]